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The most widely recycled plastic in the world is recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET). To minimize the environmental related issues associated with synthetic fibers, several researchers have explored the potential use of recycled polyester fibers in developing various technical textile products. This study aims to develop needle-punched nonwoven fabrics from recycled polyester fibers and investigate its suitability in oil spill cleanup process.

According to Box and Behnken factorial design, 15 different needle-punched nonwoven fabrics from recycled polyester fibers were prepared by changing the parameters, namely, needle punch density, needle penetration depth and fabric areal weight. Several featured parameters such as oil sorption, oil retention, oil sorption kinetics, wettability and reusability performance were systematically elucidated.

The maximum oil sorption of recycled nonwoven polyester is found to be 24.85 g/g and 20.58 g/g for crude oil and vegetable oil, respectively. The oil retention is about 93%–96% in case of crude oil, whereas 87%–91% in case of vegetable oil. Recycled polyester nonwoven possesses good hydrophobic–oleophilic properties with static contact angle of 138° against water, whereas 0° against crude oil and vegetable oil. The reusability test results indicate that recycled polyester nonwoven fabric can be used several times because of its reusability features.

There is no detailed study on the oil sorption features of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics developed from recycled polyester fibers. This study is expected to help in developing fabrics for oil spill cleanups.

The purpose of this study is to check the effectivity of plasma in the natural dyeing of polyester fabric using four natural dyes – Turkey red, Lac, Turmeric and Catechu using plasma and alum mordant. The surface modification on the polyester fabric by plasma along with the use of benign mordant alum is studied. The enhancement of dyeability in polyester fabric with natural dyes is the main focus. Due to surface modification, the wettability increases, which leads to better dye uptake. Better dye uptake and better dye adherence are the main objectives.

Plasma-mediated natural dyeing is the main design of this research work. The effect of plasma treatment on surface modification of synthetic fabric polyester and its subsequent effects on their dyeing with different natural dyes, namely, Turkey red, Lac, Turmeric and Catechu are studied. The dyeability was further enhanced by the use of alum as mordant. The main focus is on the betterment of natural dyeing of polyester fabric using sustainable natural dyes resources for dyeing and to reduce wastewater contamination from the usage of toxic additive chemicals for cleaner production.

Plasma-mediated and alum-mordanted dyeing method facilitated very good dyeability of all the four natural dyes, namely, Turkey red, Lac, Turmeric and Catechu. Color strength (K/S) values and fastness properties of plasma-treated samples were far better than untreated samples. The synergistic effect of plasma and alum mordanting has made natural dyeing of polyester very easy with very good fastness results. Natural dyeing of polyester after 2 min of plasma treatment showed excellent and desirable results. The process is also easy to be adapted by industries.

As polyester is hydrophobic, natural dyeing of polyester fabric is not very easy, but with plasma-mediated natural dyeing, it becomes a very facile dyeing method; thus, there are no limitations. Use of plasma has reduced the need for any chemical additives which are usually added during the dyeing process.

This process of natural dyeing of polyester fabric can be scaled up to industrial dyeing with natural dyes. Plasma pretreatment of the fabric followed by premordanting with alum has facilitated the natural dyeing well.

Use of plasma in place of chemical modifiers can be a green and environmentally friendly approach for sustainable coloration of polyester fabric, providing a clean wet processing for textiles dyeing.

The synergistic effect of plasma-mediated and alum-mordanted natural dyeing of polyester has not been attempted by any researcher. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is for the first time that pretreatment with atmospheric plasma followed by alum mordanting of polyester fabric has shown very good dye uptake and fastness properties as the dye molecules could penetrate well after 2 min of the plasma treatment.

Microfiber is one of the major sources of microplastic emission into the environment. In recent times, research on microfiber has gained momentum, and research across different disciplines was performed. However, no complete study was performed from the viewpoint of textiles to analyse the microfiber shedding behaviour by relating the properties textiles. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the microfiber shedding behaviour in textiles.

Articles on the microfiber shedding across different disciplines were collected and analysed systematically to identify the influencing factor. The influence of laundry parameters is found to be majorly discussed section, yet very few research data is found on the effect of yarn and fabric properties on the microfiber shedding.

Most of the articles listed laundry detergent addition, higher temperature, use of softeners, type of washing machines used and amount of liquid used as the major factors influencing the fiber shedding. Concerning the fiber and yarn characteristics, yarn twist, fiber type (staple/filament), method of production, fabric structure and specific density are reported as influencing factors. Some articles highlighted the influence of ageing of textiles on the fiber shedding.

The review identified the research gap in the textile sector and reports that so far, no research performed on microfiber shedding with the textile parameters. The review further urges the importance of research works to be performed in the textile by considering the fabric and yarn properties.

The essential properties of active sports fabrics are moisture management, quick-drying, body heat management and thermal regulations. Fibre type, blending nature, yarn and fabric structure and the finishing treatment are the key parameters that influenced the performance of the clothing meant for sportswear. This study aims to investigate the effect of fibre blending and structural tightness factors on bi-layer sport fabric's dimensional, moisture management and thermal properties.

In this study, 12 different bi-layer inter-lock fabrics were produced. Polyester filament (120 Denier) yarn was fed to form the backside of the fabric, and the face side was varied with cotton, modal, wool and soya spun yarns of 30sNe. Three different types of structural tightness factors were considered, such as low, medium and high were taken for sample development. The assessment towards dimensional, moisture management and thermal properties was carried out on all the samples.

The polyester-modal blend with a high tightness factor has shown maximum overall moisture management capability (OMMC) values of 0.73 and air permeability of 205.3 cm³/cm²/s. The same sample has shown comparatively higher thermal conductivity of 61.72 × 10^–3 W m^-1 °C^-1(Under compression state) and 58.45 × 10^–3 W m^-1 °C^-1 (under recovery state). In the case of surface roughness is concerned, polyester-modal blends have shown the lowest surface roughness, surface roughness amplitude and surface friction co-efficient. Among the selected fibre combinations, the overall comfort level of polyester-modal bi-layer knitted structure with a higher tightness factor is appreciable. Polyester-modal is more suitable for active sportswear among the four fiber blend combinations.

The outcome of this study will help to gain a better understanding of fibre blends, structural tightness factor and other process specifications for the development of bi-layer fabric for active sportswear applications. The dynamic functional testing methods (Moisture management and Thermal properties) were carried out to simulate the actual wearing environment of the sports clothing. This study will create a new scope of research opportunities in the field of bi-layer sports textiles.

This study was conducted to explore the influence of fibre blend and structural tightness factor on the comfort level of sportswear and to find the suitable fibre blend for active sportswear clothing.

Woven and knitted polyester fabrics were pretreated with formulations containing waterborne UV curable resins and silica particles to improve inkjet print quality. The selected formulations were applied with low add-on to reduce the adverse effect on fabric hand without sacrificing the print quality. A print pattern with block areas and lines in cyan, magenta, yellow, and black colors was designed and inkjet printed on the pretreated fabrics with a wide-format inkjet printer (Encad Novajet 750) to investigate the effects of the UV curable pretreatment on the inkjet print color qualities including color depth, color gamut and color lightness.

Experimental results show that both the color depth and gamut of prints on the pretreated taffeta and knitted polyester fabrics were enhanced compared to those on untreated polyester fabrics. However, both the color depth and gamut of the prints on the pretreated satin polyester fabrics were reduced. The lightness change of the inkjet printed colors on pretreated knitted fabrics is similar to that of untreated fabrics whereas the lightness change of prints on pretreated satin and taffeta fabrics shows some differences. All colors have increased lightness on pretreated satin fabrics. However, magenta and black have decreased lightness on the pretreated taffeta fabrics.

Fibre content can influence the intensity of odour that develops within clothing fabrics. However, little is known about how effective laundering is at removing malodours in clothing which differ by fibre type. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a selected cotton fabric differed in odour intensity following multiple wear and wash cycles compared to a polyester fabric.

Eight (male and female) participants wore bisymmetrical cotton/polyester t-shirts during 20 exercise sessions over a ten-week trial period. Odour was evaluated via a sensory panel, bacterial populations were counted and selected odorous volatile organic compounds were measured with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry detection. Analysis occurred both before and after the final (20th) wash cycle.

Findings showed that laundering was effective in reducing overall odour intensity (p0.001) and bacterial populations (p0.001) in both cotton and polyester fabrics. Odour was most intense on polyester fabrics following wear, not just before, but also after washing (p0.001); although, no differences in bacterial counts were found between fibre types (p>0.05). Chemical analysis found C4-C8 chained carboxylic acids on both types of unwashed fabrics, although they were more prevalent on polyester.

The findings suggest that the build-up of odour in polyester fabrics may be cumulative as important odorants such as the carboxylic acids were not as effectively removed from polyester compared to cotton.

Odour formation in textile material is mainly based on the fibre content and also the constituent fibres’ chemical and physical structures. Polyester fibre materials are very profound to form odour after being worn due to their highly oleophilic nature. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the odour formation characteristics of polyester fabric after surface modification through alkali treatment.

Five male participants were allowed to use the alkali-treated and untreated polyester fabrics, which were fixed in the axilla region of their vest. Subjective and objective odour analyses were performed for the worn samples. The odour was evaluated in terms of intensity rating, bacterial population (CFU/ml) and bacterial isolation.

The results showed that alkali treatment was effective in odour reduction in polyester fabric (p<0.005). The bacterial population density was also reduced significantly (p<0.005) in the alkali-treated polyester fabric compared to the untreated polyester fabric after the wear trial. The alkali treatment affected the surface structure of the polyester fabric and thus changed it from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. This was confirmed by the moisture management test results.

The odour formation in the polyester fabric can be controlled by simple surface modification process like alkali treatment, and thus the value of the product can be increased in the apparel sector.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential use of the layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly as an intumescent flame retardant for polyester, cotton and their blended fabrics.

In this study, polyester (PET), cotton and their blends were applied with the flame retardant coating via the LbL assembly technique. The flame retardancy, melt dripping, thermal properties and morphology of coated polyester fabrics were then examined.

The scanning electron micrograph of uncoated and coated fabrics revealed that the LbL assembly coating on the fabric surface was successful. The assessment of the flame retardancy and thermal properties of the coated fabrics showed that the after-flame time and melt dripping during the vertical burning test decreased. The char residue at temperatures ranging from 450 to 800°C during thermogravimetric analysis was enhanced as compared with the uncoated fabric. Furthermore, the morphology of the char residual of coated fabrics was rougher and bulkier than the uncoated fabrics, suggesting the typical behavior of intumescence.

The LbL technique generally uses much fewer chemicals, thus making this flame retardant finishing much more environmentally friendly. It is also expected that these fabrics will show better touch characteristics. These fabrics may be tested for their comfort compared to that of conventional coating to enable their use on an industrial scale.

This work demonstrated the ability to apply an effective intumescent coating on polyester, cotton and blend fabric. In order to maintain fabric handle property, the Lbl coating technique is also employed.

Any change in physical performance of the fibre corresponds to a change in its molecular structure. Basically polyester is hydrophobic in nature due to the absence of attracting polar groups and the dense packing in its polymeric structure. Due to the dense packing in polymeric structure and lack of hydroxyl groups of polyester it does not absorb water hence breathability is poor. The possibility of using air and oxygen plasma treatments for fibre surface activation to facilitate the improvement of hydrophilicity is attempted and has been improved. The purpose of this paper is to study the possibility of engineering the multifunctional of fabrics.

The treated fabric is evaluated through measuring the ultraviolet protection factor, thermal resistance, and antibacterial activity properties. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy graphs show deposition of nano particles (NPs) of Chitosan, TiO₂ and ZnO onto the fibre after washing several times.

Air plasma-nano Chitosan treatment affects positively the antibacterial activity, thermal resistance of the fibre and air plasma-nano TiO₂ and ZnO the fibre protection against ultraviolet rays. Furthermore, the plasma treatment solves an environmental problem which offers safe production process and working place and decreases the unit cost.

The authors are confident that textiles will adopt this technology in the future.

The utilisation of softener after laundering of textile became one of the mandatory activities among the consumers. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to determine the influence of repeated rinse cycle softener treatment on the comfort characteristics of cotton and polyester woven fabric.

The selected cotton and polyester fabrics were treated using three different softeners types and three different numbers of rinsing times, namely 5, 10 and 15. The impact of repeated rinse cycle softener treatment on the comfort characteristics like absorbency, air permeability, wicking, thermal conductivity and flammability was analysed and the changes in the properties were confirmed using two-way ANOVA.

The number of rinse cycle softener treatment has a significant impact on the absorbency, air permeability and wicking ability of the cotton and polyester fabrics. The thermal conductivity and flammability characteristics of the fabrics mostly altered based on the type of fabric softener used. For all the type of fabric, the burning time reduced after the softener treatment.

The consumer expects the softness and fragrance smell developed by the rinse cycle softener and they intend to use it more frequently after every laundry process to achieve that feel. This repeated the application of softener causes a negative impact on the fabric performances. This research result provides an evidence for the changes in physiological comfort aspects of textiles.

This analysis enlightens the negative impact of the repeated use of commercial fabric softener and their types on the common fabrics used in apparel endues.